Listen to News with Tara Benwell - Instructions:
1. Preview the vocabulary and read the gapfill text.
2. Play the news report and try to fill in the blanks.
3. Answer the comprehension questions by writing full sentences.
4. Use the discussion question to write an essay or discuss the story with other students.
5. Click "show Answers" to see the full text.
6. Pretend to be a news anchor by reading each story out loud.

dateline: 22 January 2013

Algerian Hostage Crisis Ends

Pre-Listening Vocabulary

hostage: a person who is held prisoner by a kidnapper or terrorist; the hostage taker usually has special demands

siege: the surrounding of a location by military or police forces

militant: a person with an aggressive or radical approach to war and conflict

A four-day siege has ended in the desert. Islamic militants stormed a complex in Algeria, taking hundreds of people hostage, including more than 100 foreigners. The Algerian military surrounded the facility and attempted to free the hostages. While hundreds of people escaped, at least 37 hostages from eight countries were killed, and several others remain unaccounted for. The Islamist group the attack on France’s military intervention in Mali. The terrorists claimed that Algeria was targeted because it allowed to use its airspace. Algeria is Africa’s largest natural gas producer, and many argue that its gas facilities need security.

Comprehension Questions

Where did the hostage crisis take place?

Describe the death toll following this crisis.

What reason did the militants give for the terrorist act?

Discussion Question: Many of the hostages who were in the most danger were foreigners who had explosives strapped to their bodies. Should the Algerian military have waited for help from foreign forces before taking on these militants?

show Answershide Answers

Algerian Hostage Crisis Ends
A four-day siege has ended in the North African desert. Islamic militants stormed a natural gas complex in Algeria, taking hundreds of people hostage, including more than 100 foreigners. The Algerian military surrounded the facility and attempted to free the hostages. While hundreds of people escaped, at least 37 hostages from eight countries were killed, and several others remain unaccounted for. The Islamist group blamed the attack on France’s military intervention in Mali. The terrorists claimed that Algeria was targeted because it allowed France to use its airspace. Algeria is Africa’s largest natural gas producer, and many argue that its gas facilities need tighter security.

The hostage incident took place at a natural gas complex in Algeria.

At the time of the report, the death toll had not been made official. Many people remained unaccounted for.

The militants were upset with France’s military involvement in Mali. They were also upset that Algeria allowed France to use its airspace.

Written by Tara Benwell for EnglishClub

Tara Benwell is a Canadian freelance writer and editor who specializes in materials and articles for the ELT industry.